The publications and other materials used herein to illuminate the background of the invention, and in particular, cases to provide additional details respecting the practice, are incorporated by reference.
Because of their unique luminescence properties lanthanide(III) chelates are often used as non-radioactive markers in a wide variety of routine and research applications. Since lanthanide(III) chelates give strong, long decay-time luminescence, they are ideal labels for assays where high sensitivity is required. Time-resolved fluorometric assays based on lanthanide chelates have found increasing applications in diagnostics, research and high throughput screening. The heterogeneous DELFIA® technique is applied in assays requiring exceptional sensitivity, robustness and multi-label approach [Hemmila et al. Anal. Biochem. 1984, 137, 335-343]. Development of highly luminescent stable chelates extends the use of time resolution to homogeneous assays, based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET), fluorescence quenching (TR-FQA) or changes in luminescence properties of a chelate during a binding reaction [Hemmila, I.; Mukkala, V.-M. Crit. Rev. Clin. Lab. Sci. 2001, 38, 441-519].
Most commonly the conjugation reaction is performed in solution between an amino or mercapto group of a bioactive molecule (such as protein, peptide, nucleic acid, oligonucleotide or hapten) and isothiocyanato, haloacetyl, 3,5-dichloro-2,4,6-triazinyl derivatives of lanthanide(III) chelates, as well as other reporter groups. Since in all the cases the labeling reaction is performed with an excess of an activated label, laborious purification procedures cannot be avoided. Especially, when attachment of several label molecules, or site-specific labeling in the presence of several functional groups of similar reactivities is required, the isolation and characterization of the desired biomolecule conjugate is extremely difficult, and often practically impossible. Naturally, solution phase labeling of large biomolecules, such as proteins cannot be avoided. In these cases, the labeling reaction has to be as selective and effective as possible.
A number of attempts have been made to develop new highly luminescent chelate labels suitable for time-resolved fluorometric applications. These include e.g. stabile chelates composed of derivatives of pyridines [U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,195, U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,722, U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,481, PCT/FI91/00373, U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,186, EP A-0770610, Remuinan et al, J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans 2, 1993, 1099], bipyridines [U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,134], terpyridines [U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,777, U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,423, U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,825] or various phenolic compounds [U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,572, U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,191, Ital Pat. 42508 A789] as the energy mediating groups and polycarboxylic acids as chelating parts. In addition, various dicarboxylate derivatives [U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,677, U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,578, U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,563] macrocyclic cryptates [U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,923, WO 93/5049, EP-A493745] and macrocyclic Schiff bases [EP-A-369-000] have been disclosed. Also a method for the labeling of biospecific binding reactant such as hapten, a peptide, a receptor ligand, a drug or PNA oligomer with luminescent labels by using solid-phase synthesis has been published [U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,839]. Similar strategy has also been exploited in multilabeling of oligonucleotides on solid phase [EP A 1152010, EP A 1308452].
Although fluorescent rare earth chelates comprising arylpyridine diacid and aryl substituted 2,6-bis[N,N-di(carboxyalkyl)aminoalkyl]pyridine moieties have been published [Hemmilä et al., J Biochem Biophys Methods 26; 283-90 (1993); U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,481] the chelates or chelating agents described in the present invention herein have not been disclosed before.